Rookie Ja'Kobi Lane underwent wrist surgery and was placed on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least four games, while top wideout Zay Flowers has been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice and Week 2.
Head coach Jesse Minter had already indicated the team could look outside the building to address the position given the injuries piling up.
Why Cooks Still Gets A Look At 32
The former first-round pick has six career 1,000-yard seasons, tied for among the most in the league since he entered the NFL in 2014, and he's amassed 734 career receptions for 9,811 yards and 60 touchdowns across stints with the Saints, Patriots, Rams, Texans, Cowboys, Bills, and back to New Orleans.
He's also just 189 yards shy of the 10,000-yard mark for his career, a milestone only 52 receivers in NFL history have reached.
🚨🚨#Ravens worked out WR Brandin Cooks #ravensflock #nfl pic.twitter.com/O9YqL5KQQr
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) September 18, 2026
Cooks played 15 games split between the Saints and Bills last season, but managed just 24 catches for 279 yards and no touchdowns, and he hasn't topped 700 receiving yards in a full season since 2021.
He's currently a free agent trying to prove there's still something left in the tank.
What Minter Has Actually Said
Minter was asked whether the Cooks workout was simply due diligence or a step toward a signing.
The #Ravens worked out veteran WR Brandin Cooks today, per the league’s transaction wire. pic.twitter.com/W5J2I7mDND
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 17, 2026
He didn't tip his hand either way, speaking on it as part of the team's constant roster evaluation process rather than confirming anything specific about Cooks.
